(12/17) Director Beth Royer Watson will be holding open auditions for the Thurmont Thespians Spring Musical, "Grey Gardens" on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings, January 6-8 starting at 7PM at the St. John’s Lutheran Church Social Hall, 15 North Church Street

(MD 550 next to the Guardian Hose Fire Hall) in Thurmont. The musical will be held in March on the 15-17 and 22-24, 2013 at the Thurmont American Legion Auditorium.

"Grey Gardens-the Musical" is based on the 1975 documentary film of the same name which was also recently made into an HBO movie in 2009 starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. It is set in the luxurious mansion home of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie in Easthampton, NY, both as it was in the summer of 1941 and as it came to be in 1975. Edith Bouvier Beale was
the aunt to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and her daughter Edie was once near-engaged to Lt. Joseph P Kennedy Jr., the older brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was killed in WW II.

There are 13 singing roles available, some of which can be doubled, if necessary or desired. The female roles are as follows: one woman – 60’s-70’s, two women – 40’s, one woman -20’s and two young girls - 7-13 years old. The male roles are as follows: two men – 60’s -70’s, two men – 20’s, one man – 20’s-30’s who can also play the piano and one or two African-American men –
20’s-40’s. The music director will be Ann Raugh and Jennifer Buchheister will choreograph.

"Grey Gardens" premiered on Broadway in 2010 with Book by Doug Wright and music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie. Critics dubbed it one of the best original musicals in years and said the score is a meticulously fashioned piece of musical theater that gains in depth the more you listen to it. "Bloom with creativity". "Hilarious and heartbreaking at the same
time" "bold, haunting and hypnotic" were some of the reviewers comments.